In a vehicle with a torque converter mounted thereon, a so-called creep phenomenon occurs in which the vehicle starts to move by the occurrence of minute vehicle driving force when an accelerator pedal is not operated (when an accelerator is off). Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-142310 (PTD 1), Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 10-191507 (PTD 2), and the like describe, as for an electric powered vehicle using a motor as the source of driving force, such as an electric vehicle and a hybrid vehicle, control of producing vehicle driving force for creep running (hereinafter also referred to as creep torque) when the accelerator is off.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-142310 (PTD 1) describes correction for reducing creep torque in accordance with torque on the braking side calculated from braking force so as to produce suitable creep torque in accordance with a brake operation. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 10-191507 (PTD 2) describes performing brake assist at the instant when a mode of starting with an electric motor serving as the source of motive power and a mode of starting with an engine serving as the source of motive power are switched at the time of creep control.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-221935 (PTD 3) describes control of gradually decreasing creep torque output from a motor to zero and causing breaking force based on requested torque to function on a driving wheel if requested torque is negative torque and the vehicular state is in a creep torque output range when constant speed running is instructed.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-100580 (PTD 4) describes setting vehicle driving force for smooth starting when an accelerator is turned on in the state where braking torque is output and the vehicle is at a stop. Specifically, it is described that control is exerted to bring braking torque obtained by a brake unit gradually closer to zero and to increase driving torque by an increment based on a decrement of braking torque.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-262766 (PTD 5) describes control of achieving a vehicle stop by an automatic brake as a backward movement prevention device at the time of a vehicle stop even when a driver tries to stop the vehicle on an uphill road.